HEALTH SERVICE:STORMONT HEALTH committee chair Iris Robinson used her address to criticise the Ulster Unionist Minister for Health, Michael McGimpsey.
Citing a series of problems experienced in the health service since devolution was restored, Mrs Robinson said the Minister and his scrutiny committee should be working in tandem.
"In contrast, the Minister chooses to treat the health committee with complete diffidence and high-handedness," she said.
Outlining her case, she said Mr McGimpsey showed diffidence to more than 6,000 health service professionals in Northern Ireland, towards the needs of patients and interest groups and towards ensuring a quality service delivery to vulnerable people.
She praised MPs for preventing the extension of the British 1967 abortion legislation to Northern Ireland.
"I am grateful to God that the amendment to the human fertilisation and embryology debate to extend abortion to Northern Ireland was prevented from being voted on. I want to congratulate my colleague Jeffrey Donaldson for his exemplary work in chairing the all-party pro-life committee and for the outstanding result that we have secured here," she said to rousing applause.
Mrs Robinson said she would never flinch from standing for what she believed to be the truth, no matter how unpopular that made her with public commentators. "It is Christian truth that the sanctity of innocent life should be preserved," she added.
She outlined a series of measures to streamline bureaucracy in administration of the health service.
"The NHS is a wonderful concept," she said. "From 1948 it has changed the face of public services in the UK. Today, though, we cannot afford to run the health service like it is still 1948. Public expectations have massively increased. We must mould and perfect the NHS for the needs of today and beyond, conscious of the changing factors contributing to health expenditure."
Jeffrey Donaldson said overhauling the legacy of direct rule also meant dealing with the legacy of the Troubles. He accused direct rule Ministers of overlooking the needs of victims and survivors of paramilitary violence.
Former unionist first minister David Trimble was also accused of refusing to recognise the needs of victims by not acting on advice to establish a victims commission. There was no way a gunman could be treated as a victim in the same way as the person targeted, he said. "That was what direct rule brought us. Jim Allister, there will be no return to direct rule."
Referring directly to Lord Eames, co-chair of the Eames- Bradley group examining the legacy of the Troubles, he warned: "Immunity from prosecution in any form is utterly unacceptable to the Democratic Unionist Party."